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Matt Turnbull's Story “ When Matt Turnbull experienced pain in his right leg, he figured it wasn’t unusual for a 19-year-old basketball player. Then one morning, he couldn’t move the leg – and couldn’t stand the pain. Arthroscopic surgery revealed something his doctor had never seen: osteochondritis dissecans, a genetic defect resulting in cartilage detaching from the round end of the femur under the kneecap. While doctors looked for a solution, Matt looked for relief. “There was emotional pain as well as physical pain,” he says. Crutches and braces didn’t work; his endurance and spirits sagged. Amputation was mentioned. s After seven months, he found someone with an answer: James Bruckner, MD, an Associate Medical Director at Puget Sound Blood Center’s Northwest Tissue Services. Dr. Bruckner showed x-rays to the Turnbulls and said he could do a bone and cartilage transplant; he’s one of the few surgeons who can. Matt’s name entered a transplant list and in three months, a donor, who had died of sudden trauma, was found. The donated knee was a good fit and the surgery was a success. “After the procedure, I felt instantly better,” said Matt. After a yearlong rehabilitation, Matt threw away the brace. “I’m so thankful that I’m able to walk…that I’m able to have my life back,” he says. And for those who helped him get there: the donor family, Dr. Bruckner, Northwest Tissue Services, the physical therapist, and the Turnbull family, Matt offers his gratitude. “‘Thank you’ is the easiest thing I can say… but it’s more emotional than words for me.” |
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A Tissue Transplant Helped Me Lead a Normal Life.”